Indian-origin man found guilty of bribing Mexican officials

New York, Dec 28 (IANS) An Indian-origin man was found guilty of bribing Mexican officials to secure contracts, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell has said.

Kamta Ramnarine, 69, the co-owner of an aircraft maintenance company was found guilty in the $2 million-bribery case involving the Mexican officials, Caldwell said on Tuesday.

The conviction of Ramnarine of Brownsville, Texas, followed his admission before Federal Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa in McAllen, Texas, that he had conspired to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act that makes bribing foreign officials a crime prosecutable in the US.

He and three others, who either co-owned or were associated with the aircraft maintenance companies, and two Mexican state government officials were all found guilty in the $2 million-bribery scheme, officials said.

“The six convictions announced today demonstrate the (Justice) department’s commitment to holding accountable those who further official corruption through bribery,” Caldwell said.

“The individuals involved in this scheme paid millions of dollars in bribes to foreign officials in exchange for aviation contracts that placed legitimate businesses at a significant competitive disadvantage,” said Rick Goss, the Special Agent in charge of Internal Revenue Service criminal investigations.

Prosecutors said that Ramnarine admitted to bribing and conspiring to bribe several foreign official to ensure that his Brownsville-based company won aircraft parts and services contracts with Mexican government-owned customers and a public university.